About to lose to the national team for the first time.  Good to see Merrell back if only a limited role.  No carry over from MSU game.  No offense, outshot by a 2 to 1 margin.  Second half rebound doubtful.

don't tell me that Trouba, Clare and Janecyk were all out. It's a college team picked No. 1 preseason losing to a bunch of 18 year olds. No defense for that. 

That was really a pathetic display.  Every time I think this team has hit bottom, they pull another shit show to trump all other shit shows out of their asses.  They didn't even show up for this game, just slid out onto the ice expecting to roll over the kids from across town.  

Well those kids out hustled, out worked, and just plain out played Michigan from start to finish.  If that's how Michigan is approaching this second half of the season I'm glad they are going to be on the road for most of it so I don't have to sit through to many more of these in person.  Playing like that they won't even get to Joe Louis in the CCHA tournament, let alone make the NCAA tournament.  These guys played like they have already decided their season is over and are just trying to get to the end.

This is the BEST possible thing to happen.  I've watched several games this year and was at MSG for the Cornell game.  

Michigan gets outworked nearly every game.  If this doesn't embarrass our guys and force them to realize it's going to take a monster effort each and every shift, then they deserve what's coming to them...the title of the worst team of the past 25 years.

It's obvious that the only way to make the NCAAs is to win the CCHA tournament.  So, that should be the goal...to PEAK for that tournament.  That gives this team a few months to get their act together and find something deep inside of themselves.  

It's CCHA tournament or bust!!!

Eh, it doesn't bother me too much.  We've had close calls against the NTDP with MUCH more talented teams in the past (think we won 6-5 in OT one year or something?).  Bound to happen sooner or later, just like losing to that Canadian team before last season.

The way I looked at it, every time we've come off a good win that we hope turns around the season--1st win vs. MSU, win vs. BGSU before Thanksgiving, shutout of Western Michigan, and GLI consolation vs. MSU--we have followed up each of those games with absolute stinkers (big loss at MSU, loss vs. Cornell, shutout by Michigan Tech, loss to NTDP).  I'd much rather Michigan play their stinker card in an exhibition tonight than Tuesday against Bowling Green when it counts.

How did Michigan's commits look?  I know Motte had a pair of power play goals (both assisted by Compher) and Allen had an assist, too, but I didn't get to see the game.

No

they've had enough embarrassments that they shouldn't need another one. Cornell was embarrassing. At Ferris, losing 5-0. Then Tech in the GLI. If those losses weren't going to spark these guys then I doubt this most recent one will. 

get it going, all based on past teams.  Have to start taking a realistic look at THIS team.  they have done nothing, absolutely nothing, this year to make anyone think that they will be that 2nd half team.  They were just an uninterested team last night, making all the same mistakes they have made all year.

Defensive breakdowns, all of which pretty much led to goals or at least opened up the ice to give them scoring chances.  No offense to speak of.  Goaltending, well we know what that is.  You can't put everything on Rutledge, he got zero help out there last night.  I believe it was one of their goals in the 1st period that was just an perfect example of the entire night.  Moffie was trying to front one of the USA players, of course he got schooled as he did all night by the high schooler, allowing the pass to a teammate to the right of the net (where Rutledge couldn't see him), but there wasn't a Michigan player anywhere near this kid. Where was the other defenseman?  Where was a forward?  Just nobody there and of course it was an easy shot into a wide open net.

The US team came to play, like they do every year.  They have wanted this win for years and given the number of players on our team that played for them you would think it wouldn't be a mystery that the U-18's were going to come in and give it everything they had, yet the Michigan team simply didn't show up.  Hat's off to the US team, they came to play and they are definitely a talented group of players, but to come into Yost and just pretty much dominate play is simply inexcusable.

I feel really bad for the 50% of players on this team who are working their asses off every night, while the other half just seem to be going through the motions.

and of itself the issue.  The issue is just how poorly they played.  While this game doesn't really matter in the grand scheme, it was just an exhibition, if you are a team that has struggled as this one has to this point, you simply cannot have a game were you are so detached that you barely look alive on the ice.  They played a terrible game last night.  It's about tone, a mind set, that they are taking no prisoners for the rest of the year and from how they looked last night they have no fight left in them, it was just an awful effort (well there really was no effort).

The only good thing of the entire night is that the Michigan commits did have good nights, some like Motte seemed to have really good nights.  Hopefully they bring that with them when they put on the maize and blue, because we need more players like them at this point.

to the national team....